William Ross (Canadian politician)

William Ross (December 20, 1824 – March 17, 1912) was a Canadian politician.[2]

The Hon.
William Ross
Senator for Victoria, Nova Scotia
In office
May 18, 1905 – March 17, 1912
Appointed byWilfrid Laurier
Member of the Canadian Parliament
for Victoria, Nova Scotia
In office
1867–1874
Succeeded byCharles James Campbell
In office
1900–1904
Preceded byJohn Lemuel Bethune
Succeeded byElectoral district was abolished in 1903
Personal details
Born(1824-12-20)December 20, 1824
Boularderie, Nova Scotia, Canada
DiedMarch 17, 1912(1912-03-17) (aged 87)
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada[1]
Political partyAnti-Confederate (1867-1869)
Liberal
SpouseEliza Moore
ResidenceHalifax, Nova Scotia[1]
CabinetMinister of Militia and Defence (1873-1874)

Born on Boularderie Island, Nova Scotia, the son of John Ross, a Scottish immigrant,[3] and Robina McKenzie,[1] Ross was a merchant and shipbuilder.[2] In 1855, he married Eliza Moore. He represented Victoria County in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1857 to 1867.[3] He was elected to the 1st Canadian Parliament in 1867. From 1873 to 1874, he was the Minister of Militia and Defence.[2] Ross resigned his seat in the House of Commons in 1874 after he was named customs collector for Halifax[4] and served until 1888.[1]

Ross also served as a Lieutenant-colonel in the Cape Breton Militia.[1]

In 1905, he was summoned to the Senate of Canada representing the senatorial division of Victoria, Nova Scotia. A Liberal, he served until his death in 1912.

Electoral record edit

1867 Canadian federal election: Victoria, Nova Scotia
Party Candidate Votes
Anti-Confederation William Ross acclaimed
1872 Canadian federal election: Victoria, Nova Scotia
Party Candidate Votes
Liberal William Ross acclaimed
Source: Canadian Elections Database[5]
Canadian federal by-election, 20 December 1873: Victoria, Nova Scotia
On Mr. Ross being appointed Minister of Militia, 7 November 1873
Party Candidate Votes
Liberal William Ross 541
Conservative Charles James Campbell 523
Source: lop.parl.ca[6]
1874 Canadian federal election: Victoria, Nova Scotia
Party Candidate Votes
Liberal William Ross acclaimed
Source: open.canada.ca[7]
1900 Canadian federal election: Victoria, Nova Scotia
Party Candidate Votes
Liberal William Ross 1,072
Conservative Duncan A. McCaskill 785

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e Johnson, J.K. (1968). The Canadian Directory of Parliament 1867-1967. Public Archives of Canada.
  2. ^ a b c William Ross – Parliament of Canada biography
  3. ^ a b The Canadian parliamentary companion, HJ Morgan (1869)
  4. ^ The Canadian parliamentary companion and annual register, 1877, CH Mackintosh
  5. ^ Sayers, Anthony M. "1872 Federal Election". Canadian Elections Database. Archived from the original on 3 February 2024.
  6. ^ "By-Election(s) (1873-12-20)". lop.parl.ca.
  7. ^ "History of the Federal Electoral Ridings, 1867-2010". Library of Parliament. Retrieved 21 November 2023.